The Board of Te Ohu Kaimoana are proud to announce the appointment of Lisa te Heuheu (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) to the role of Te Mātārae (Chief Executive) of Te Ohu Kaimoana.

Lisa currently serves as the Chair of Te Wai Māori Trust, an entity of Te Ohu Kai Moana Group along with Te Ohu Kaimoana, Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust and Aotearoa Fisheries Limited (Moana New Zealand).

“We are very excited to have been able to appoint Lisa to lead the organisation. Lisa brings with her a tremendous amount of experience in working with iwi, policy, research and management and is exceptionally well versed in resource management issues. More recently, Lisa has been very involved in a number of governance roles and has both great relationships and experience in working with indigenous organisations, government, regional councils and local government as well as international agencies. She has great vision and energy, and we look forward to supporting her as a Board, organisation and wider kāhui in the success of her new role” – Rangimarie Hunia, Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana.

In her appointment, Lisa breaks a familiar trend in becoming the first wahine to take the role of Te Mātārae of Te Ohu Kaimoana, a similar feat she achieved earlier in the year when she became the first wahine Chair of Te Wai Māori Trust. Lisa joins the organisation at an exciting and challenging time globally and nationally, where indigenous fisheries rights must be protected and respected, while at the same time balanced with the health of our taiao, moana and marine life in Aotearoa.

“It is a privilege to be given a role to serve our people and I’m excited about the challenges that lay ahead of us as an organisation. We as Māori, are one of the only, if not the only indigenous peoples in the world to have rights and interests guaranteed in law to our habitats and resources – as well as through our whakapapa. These are hard-fought for rights and interests, promised to us through Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Deed of Settlement. We have an opportunity to be world-leading and innovative in fisheries and implement practices that align with our holistic principles as Māori. It’s about reciprocity and intergenerational responsibility – Tangaroa kai atu, Tangaroa kai mai.” – Lisa te Heuheu, newly appointed Mātārae of Te Ohu Kaimoana.

Lisa succeeds former Chief Executive Dion Tuuta in the role and will begin her role on the 15th of February 2021.

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